It has had three or four titles in its 74 years of existence. But until now, the Irish Championship of Champions, or whatever it's called, has been raced for the same original and increasingly battered Silver Salver, as presented by Douglas Heard in 1947. A rose is still a rose by any other name, for sure. But whatever the event title - of which the most senior holders still with us are Teddy Crosbie (1950), Johnny Hooper (1953), and Clayton Love Jnr (1955) - the trophy until now has remained unmistakably the same salver.

Yet for the 75th Anniversary series this Autumn, the word on the waterfront is that the series is going to be re-named the 'Champions' Cup'. It's certainly a reasonably catchy bit of alliterations. But even the dumbest fence in stolen silverware would baulk at trying to convince anyone that this time-honoured salver is a silver cup. So maybe they're going to melt it down and give it new life as a bright new silver cup?

Certainly, it's an awkward enough bit of kit, and getting it all the way home on the post-championship Sunday night in the old days in the ancient MG TD made for a cramped journey. But that's hardly the case these days with everyone driving SUVs.

Thus the question stands: Is our much-loved if awkward silver salver going to be melted down for conversion into a more convenient cup in order to fit the new event title? We think we should be told.